Holland Reporter

The GVSU women's lacrosse team is set to begin their season on Sunday afternoon against Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). The game will take place at 1:00 PM on the campus of Robert Morris.

In 2024, GVSU had a successful season with a record of 17-2. They won both the GLIAC regular season and tournament titles and secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year. This season, they are led by new head coach Dominique Hamman, who joins after two years at Daemen. The Lakers have a strong defensive lineup that was top-ranked last year with a 4.94 goals-against average.

Returning players include All-American goalkeeper Kaylyn Cater, who made 83 saves with a .512 save percentage last season. Other key defenders are All-GLIAC performers Kylie Waeghe and Elora Ferrie, along with Lauren Volk. In midfield, Ashleigh Rothe returns as an All-Region selection alongside Zoe Ziegler, Ella Boose, and Ainsley Shilling. On offense, Delaney Smith leads as the top returning point scorer with 46 points from 22 goals and 24 assists. The team retains seven of their top ten scorers from last year and begins this season ranked tenth in the IWLCA preseason poll.

IUP ended their previous season with a 7-10 record and balanced performance in PSAC play. They bring back three all-league players: attacker Kathryn Burke (61 points), midfielder Emma Mass (24 goals), and defender Rachel Knight (25 caused turnovers). Their goalkeeping duo of Maddy Schramm and Mia Courtalis returns after making a combined total of 130 saves with a .396 save percentage. Under head coach Brenna Gallagher Roan's leadership in her seventh year, IUP was predicted to finish fourth in the PSAC West this season. Historically, GVSU has won all three previous encounters against IUP.

Fans can follow Sunday's game through live stats or on social media via @gvsuwlax.